U-Start
U-Start is a Milan-based advisory firm founded in 2012 that structures deals between private investors and technology companies across Europe, Israel, and the United States, operating with a small partner-led team.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersMilan, Italy
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What U-Start does
U-Start is a professional advisory firm founded in 2012 and headquartered in Milan, Italy. The firm structures transactions involving private investors and allocates capital into technology companies operating across Europe, Israel, and the United States, positioning it as a cross-border deal intermediary rather than a product or SaaS business.
The firm operates with a small team (11–50 employees) led by co-founder Andrea Colombo, who serves as Non-Executive Chairman, and supported by a marketing function. Capital-formation history includes two disclosed rounds with Angel Capital Management (January 2014 and January 2017), with an additional October 2014 round recorded. All disclosed deal values in the source material are reported as zero, suggesting undisclosed or minimal transaction sizes rather than verified data. No products, technology stack, pricing model, or service packaging are documented in the available inputs.
The firm's business model is implicitly fee- or carry-based advisory revenue tied to private-investor deal structuring, though no fee schedule, ticket sizes, or portfolio company count is publicly disclosed. Operating geographies span at least three regions (Europe, Israel, US), but there is no evidence of recent geographic expansion, leadership turnover, or new product initiatives since the 2017 funding event.
U-Start firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- U-Start
- Website
- https://u-start.biz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- U-Start is a Milan-based advisory firm founded in 2012 that structures deals between private investors and technology companies across Europe, Israel, and the United States, operating with a small partner-led team.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
U-Start industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Advisory Services
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Management Consulting Services (54161)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B) (FSANAAAB), Cross-Border M&A Advisory (FSAEAGAH)
Keywords
Where U-Start is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Milan
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
U-Start business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
U-Start product offering
Product offeringCore offering
U-Start is a professional advisory firm that structures deals with private investors and invests in technology companies across Europe, Israel, and the US. The firm provides advisory services connecting private investors with technology investment opportunities, including deal structuring and cross-border investment support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Private Investor Deal Structuring
Companies that use U-Start
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
U-Start technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
U-Start partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
U-Start competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Drake Star Partners: Global tech-focused M&A and advisory firm with strong European presence (offices in London, Munich, Paris, Milan). Closely comparable to U-Start as a sector-specialist advisor serving tech founders and investors across multiple geographies.
- GP Bullhound: Tech-focused advisory and investment firm covering Europe, the US and beyond. Overlaps with U-Start on cross-border tech M&A advisory and minority investing alongside private investors.
- Clipperton: European tech-focused corporate finance advisor advising on M&A and private capital raises. Comparable to U-Start as a boutique serving European tech founders with private investor placement.
- Hampleton Partners: International tech-focused M&A advisory firm with European roots and US coverage. Direct peer to U-Start in cross-border tech deal structuring with private investors.
- Earlybird Venture Capital: Pan-European early-stage venture capital firm investing in tech. Comparable to U-Start's investing-in-tech activity and its European-Israeli angle (Earlybird has a dedicated Israel presence).
- Speedinvest: European early-stage tech investor with sector-focused funds. Overlaps with U-Start on European tech investing and on facilitating connections between founders and private capital.
- HV Capital: Germany-headquartered venture capital firm with a long European tech track record. Comparable as a European-focused tech investor working alongside private investors and angels.
- Target Global: Israeli-anchored tech venture capital firm with European operations. Closely comparable to U-Start's Europe-Israel cross-border tech investing thesis.
- Livingstone Partners: International mid-market advisory firm with a dedicated tech, media and telecoms practice across Europe. Comparable to U-Start as a deal-structuring advisor for tech companies and their investors.
Broad incumbents
- Index Ventures: Large transatlantic tech venture capital firm with offices in London, San Francisco and beyond. Comparable to U-Start on cross-border Europe-US tech investing, but operating at materially greater scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
U-Start social profiles
Digital presenceU-Start financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
U-Start leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
U-Start funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
U-Start M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments38 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about U-Start
What does U-Start do?
U-Start is a professional advisory firm that structures deals with private investors and invests in technology companies across Europe, Israel, and the US. The firm provides advisory services connecting private investors with technology investment opportunities, including deal structuring and cross-border investment support.
When was U-Start founded?
U-Start was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is U-Start based?
U-Start is headquartered in Milan, Italy, in the Europe region.
Who are U-Start's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Drake Star Partners, GP Bullhound, Clipperton, Hampleton Partners, Earlybird Venture Capital, Speedinvest, HV Capital, Target Global and Livingstone Partners. Index Ventures is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does U-Start have an API?
No public API is recorded for U-Start.
What industry is U-Start in?
U-Start's product category is Investment Advisory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAEAGAJ, Industry-Specialist / Sector-Focused M&A Advisory, with a secondary code of FSANAAAB, Early-Stage Venture Capital (Series A/B). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.